The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust is granting almost $5-million ($4,711,481) to medical facilities in five states– including Avera St. Mary’s Hospital in Pierre– as part of an effort to save the lives of COVID-19 patients and protect the healthcare workers caring for them.
President and Chief Medical Officer at Avera St. Mary’s Dr. Mike Holland they’ll be receiving two LUCAS mechanical chest compression devices.
He says the machines are small and easily portable.
367 LUCAS mechanical CPR devices will go to hospitals caring for COVID-19 patients in South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Nebraska. All of the machines will stay at their deployed locations after the pandemic as part of each hospitals’ cardiac care system, which Holland says is greatly appreciated.
Research has shown cardiac damage in as many as 1 in 5 COVID-19 patients, leading to heart failure and death even among those who show no signs of respiratory distress. Among patients who recover, many could have long-term effects from such heart damage.
Medical facilities in these South Dakota towns are also getting LUCAS mechanical CPR machines from the Helmsley Charitable Trust:
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Aberdeen– 4
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Brookings– 1
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Custer– 2
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Deadwood– 1
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Huron– 1
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Madison– 1
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Mitchell– 2
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Mobridge– 1
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Rapid City– 10
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Sioux Falls– 23
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Spearfish– 2
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Sturgis– 1
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Watertown– 1
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Yankton– 2
